Platform9 Introduces Elastic Machine Pool (EMP) at KubeCon 2023 to Optimize Costs on AWS EKS
In the world of cloud-native technologies and container orchestration, Kubernetes stands out as a leading choice. However, as organizations increasingly adopt Kubernetes, they face challenges related to cost optimization and resource utilization. Platform9 has unveiled a groundbreaking solution at KubeCon + CloudNativeCon NA 2023: Elastic Machine Pool (EMP).
Elastic Machine Pool (EMP): A Cost-Effective Revolutionary Compute Engine for EKS
Madhura Maskasky, Co-founder and VP of Product at Platform9, introduced EMP during an interview at KubeCon, setting the stage for a game-changing innovation. With Kubernetes becoming the de facto standard for container orchestration, it’s essential to address the issues of underutilization and cost inefficiency that plague many Kubernetes clusters in the public cloud.
Check out the full interview with Madhura here:
The Underutilization Problem
One of the critical problems EMP tackles is the underutilization of Kubernetes clusters, especially when running in the public cloud. On average, Kubernetes clusters in both private and public clouds operate at less than 30% utilization. This means that a significant portion of the capacity, for which organizations are paying top dollar, goes to waste. EMP’s mission is to maximize the utilization of these resources and, in turn, reduce costs.
“We are very excited about Elastic Machine Pool. It’s a brand-new product, hot off the press. This goes back to our roots. Our core bread and butter has always been about simplifying complexity and providing the best optimization to run your workloads.”
EMP: Addressing the root cause of under-utilization unlike any other
What sets EMP apart from other solutions is its innovative approach. Instead of deploying traditional EC2 instances for Kubernetes clusters, EMP operates directly on AWS bare metal. This approach harks back to Platform9’s roots in virtualization, leveraging this experience to create a new layer of highly optimized virtual machines (VMs) that serve as alternate worker nodes.
“Because we can deploy straight to AWS bare metal, we’re able to bring in a ton of innovation. So we put virtualization on top of AWS bare metal, then we create our layer of VMs, and these become alternate worker nodes.”
Doubling EKS utilization – automatically
The advantages of EMP are significant. By focusing on optimizing the underlying capacity, EMP can boost Kubernetes cluster utilization from an average of 25-30% to a remarkable 60-70%. This utilization improvement translates to a substantial cost reduction, typically in the range of 40-50%. This means that organizations can run their Kubernetes workloads more efficiently, achieving the same results at a lower cost.
What’s more, EMP seamlessly integrates with existing AWS Elastic Kubernetes Service (EKS) clusters, making the transition to this innovative solution smooth and painless. Organizations have the flexibility to choose between Fargate and EMP based on their workload requirements, but EMP’s unique optimization capabilities make it an attractive choice for large-scale clusters.
How EMP helped one of our early validation partners, a SaaS data management company, slash AWS EKS costs by 58%.
Early Access and Beyond
Interested parties can request a demo from Platform9’s website.
We also have an early access program running that allows organizations to get a firsthand look at the potential cost savings and efficiency improvements that EMP can bring to their Kubernetes operations. We will provide free AWS credits and full support for onboarding and testing the product with our solution experts. Learn more and sign up here.
AI/ML with Kubernetes: The New Frontier
As Madhura Maskasky pointed out, with the growth of AI and ML workloads, the demand for resources is set to increase exponentially. Scalability, multi-cluster management, and efficient resource utilization are becoming critical considerations for enterprises. EMP addresses these concerns by providing a purpose-built solution that maximizes Kubernetes cluster efficiency and minimizes costs.
Finally, Platform9’s Elastic Machine Pool (EMP) provides a unique and innovative approach to optimizing Kubernetes clusters on AWS EKS. With a focus on resource utilization and cost reduction, EMP is poised to become a valuable tool for organizations looking to get the most out of their Kubernetes workloads in the public cloud. As Kubernetes grows in popularity, solutions like EMP will play an important role in shaping the future of cloud-native computing.
Reach out to our EMP expert team to see a live demo and learn more about Elastic Machines Pool.
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